Foster youth liaison outlines credit and graduation options for senior who changed schools

Sherry, the foster youth liaison, met with a senior student and the student’s education rights holder, Mr. Espino, to review the student’s options for completing high school after changing schools with an open foster care case.

Sherry told the student that “you have the rights to credits you earn in all the classes that you pass before leaving your last school.” She said she would follow up with the student’s previous school (and any other schools attended) to collect “the credits you are owed,” and that she would deliver that information to the student’s counselor.

Sherry reviewed four concrete options. First, the student may stay an extra year at her regular high school to meet district graduation requirements and continue extracurricular activities, including the band. Second, Sherry described an option under AB 216 — called in the meeting the “AB 216 graduation criteria” — that can apply when a student in foster care changes schools after their sophomore year; meeting the state criteria under that provision would allow the student to graduate without completing some local elective or district-specific requirements. Sherry said, “Yes. You would get the exact same diploma from the district as everyone else,” but she added that meeting the AB 216 criteria may not satisfy requirements for admission to a four-year university and that the student would likely look to community college first.

Other options Sherry outlined included making up coursework through after-school classes, summer school, alternative school locations or extra tutoring to raise math and reading levels, and delaying any decision while the liaison gathers credit records and assesses the student’s academic levels. Sherry also said the student could combine options — for example, staying an extra year while meeting AB 216 criteria if more time is needed.

The student described feeling overwhelmed and said, “I’m just ready to give up,” and expressed concern about missing skills needed for employment. Mr. Espino confirmed he “holds her education rights” and, when asked, said, “That’s correct.”

At the end of the meeting, Sherry proposed a follow-up: she would attempt to collect the student’s previously earned credits, transfer that information to the counselor, and meet again in two weeks to review options. The transcript ends with a brief summary statement that “You have a right to credits and special graduation options if you change schools in high school and have an open foster care case.”